A Bristol-based electrical engineering firm has formed a new partnership to support more people to return to work after a career break.
Working with STEM Returners, Powersystems will host a returners programme open to people with any length of break on their CV. STEM Returners will source the candidates and provide career coaching and mentoring throughout the paid placement. At the end of the programme, returners may be offered the opportunity to become permanent employees.
Established in 1977, Powersystems is one of the leading high-voltage specialist electrical engineering companies in the UK and delivers projects across a wide range of industries, including renewable energy, commercial and industrial, electric vehicle, generation, nuclear and grid stability.
Research from STEM Returners (STEM Returners Index) has found that many people face challenges when returning to work following a career break, with recruitment bias against a lack of recent experience as well as gender, age and race as the main barriers to entry. For example, half (51%) of respondents said a perceived lack of recent experience was a barrier to entry, an increase from 38% in the 2023 Index and more than a quarter (26%) of women said they felt they had personally experienced bias in the recruitment process due to their gender, compared to eight per cent of men.
STEM Returners aim to eliminate these barriers by giving candidates real work experience and mentoring during their placement, as well as supporting them to adjust to life back in work.
Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, explained: “Sadly, a gap on someone’s CV puts them at a distinct disadvantage when trying to reenter the STEM workforce. But a career break shouldn’t mean a career end. We’re proud to be working with Power Systems UK on this new programme, which aims to improve recruitment practices and allow people to return to work in a supported environment.”
Chris Jenkins, Managing Director at Powersystems, said: “At Powersystems, we are passionate about building a diverse, inclusive and sustainable engineering workforce. Too often, highly skilled professionals are overlooked because of a career break, but we believe talent and potential should never be defined by gaps on a CV. By partnering with STEM Returners, we are proud to open doors for experienced engineers in Bristol to re-enter the industry with confidence, contribute to the UK’s vital infrastructure projects, and help us deliver innovation across renewable energy, grid stability, and beyond.”
Since we launched in 2017, more than 600 candidates have joined STEM Returners programmes across the UK.
To view our live opportunities, visit: https://stemreturners.com/live-programmes/
